Like many, I’ve largely avoided writing about the US election, despite its prominence in my thoughts for the past few months. My sentiments now it’s over are largely echoes of Todd’s and Garrett’s, so I won’t dwell on them too much.

It strikes me, however, that today John Kerry has displayed characteristic intelligence, dignity and genuine concern for the welfare of his country, demonstrating just how good a president he would have made. And that four years ago, Bush’s belligerence in the face of the popular vote was ample foreshadowing of the qualities the rest of the world (if not, evidently, America itself) finds so loathsome. In defeat, Kerry has proven himself to be more presidential than Bush could ever hope to be. That, I suspect, is the great irony of this election.

I’m heartened by four things:

I’m not a citizen of the USA, so I probably should care more about UK politics than US politics.